Method of and apparatus for straightening doors



H. ADAMSON March v1, 1938.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING DOORS Filed July 10, 1936Hire]? 01- f/ermem Ada 2223022 Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING DOORS 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus forstraightening doors, which become warped in use, and which also may bereadily applied to and quickly adjusted to straighten such doors. Theinvention is also useful in connection with straightening sash, screendoors, or other articles of like nature. The invention also lends itselfto the manufacture of doors and like structures which sometimes are madeof green lumber, for preventing warping of said structures.

Often wooden doors warp or spring out of shape in use, especially wheresome one part of a door is more exposed to atmospheric conditions thansome other part. Such conditions occur with outside doors, for example,outside doors of dwellings, barns, garages, hangars, warehouses and thelike, and also screen doors, window screens and shutters.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method ofstraightening warped doors, shutters and like structures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means forstraightening warped door shutters and like structures.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus forstraightening warped doors and like structures, which is economical tomanufacture, easy to apply and efiicient in use.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide anapparatus which may be used with wood which is not fully dried, for themanufacture of doors, shutters and the like for preventing warping ofsaid articles in use, in which use the means of the present invention,installed in accordance with the method of the present invention, mightbe concealed and thus invisible to view.

The above other and further objects of the present invention will beapparent from the following description and accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of the presentinvention and the views Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmental verticalsectional view taken through the lower end of a door stile which iswarped, showing the end anchor member firmly secured in place within agroove or recess and with the adjacent end of the bow member which isutilized for straightening the door, abutting it.

Figure 4 is a fragmental edge elevational view of the lower end of adoor showing the apparatus of the present invention thereto applied forstraightening the door, when the device is applied to an outer surfaceof the stile.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmental elevational view of one side of adoor showing the relation ship of the parts when the same have been at-15 tached to the door to straighten it.

Figure 6 is a fragmental vertical sectional view through a door stileshowing the straightening apparatus applied to the door in a groove ofgreater depth than the straightening apparatus requires, and showing thestraightening apparatus covered by a seal. such as a thin strip ofVeneer or the like so as to conceal the straightening apparatus.

The drawing will now be explained.

Figure 1 shows the front stile I of a door, which stile is warped andwhich is to be straightened.

Preferably, although not necessarily, the concave face of the stile isprovided with a groove 2 of a depth sufficient to receive the end an- 30chors and the bowed straightening member so that when the straighteningmember is fully ex tended it will lie substantially flush with thesurface of the stile.

In the ends of the groove 2 are formed transversely extending grooves 3and 4 adapted to receive tongues or flanges 5 and 6 respectively, of endanchors 1. An end anchor and its tongues may be cast or pressed and isin width substan- O tially that of the width of the groove 2 formed inthe concave surface of the stile.

There are preferably two of such end anchors used, one at each end ofthe groove 2 as may be readily observed in Figures 1 and 2. 45

For cooperating with the end anchors l is a single piece of bowed metal8, in width substantially that of the groove 2 in the stile. The lengthof the bowed member 8 is greater than the distance between the endanchors i.

To straighten the door in accordance with the method and apparatus ofthe present invention, the bowed member 8 is applied with its endswithin the groove 2 and in contact with the end anchors l and with theconcave surface of 55 the member 8 adjacent the concave face of thewarped stile.

At intervals in the length of the member 8 are holes for receivingscrews 9 or other equivalent fastening means.

In applying the end anchors l to the door stile, the tongues 5 and 6thereof are inserted in the grooves 3 and 4, with the body of the platelying within the groove or recess 2. Screws l8 and H are utilized tosecure the end anchors in position. These screws are arranged nearer themargin of the end anchors against which the ends of the bowed member 8abut so as to afiord greater resistance against displacement.

In straightening a warped door or other structure by means of thepresent invention, after the bowed member is arranged against the endanchor 'l, as shown in Fig. 1, it is straightened to force the endanchors apart and thereby straighten the door portion. Thisstraightening may be accomplished by the utilization of clamps appliedabout the bowed member 8 and the opposite surface of the door stile tostraighten the bowed member 8 and embed it in the groove or recess 2.When this manner of straightening has been accomplished, the screws 9are driven home thus retaining the member 8 in straightposition withinthe recess 2, thus maintaining pressure against the end anchors I tokeep the door or other part straight.

The finished relationship of the various elements are clearlyillustrated at Figures 2 and 5. Figure 3 shows one end of the bowedmember 8 against one of the end anchors prior to the straightening ofthe bowed member.

Another way of straightening the bowed member 8 would be to force thescrews 9 home and thus straighten the member 8 until it lies within therecess 2.

In the event that no recess 2 is utilized, then the end anchors l andthe bowed member 8 are applied to the concave surface of the warped partand when the bowed member 8 is straightened, the relative positions ofthe parts will appear as shown in Fig. 4.

It may sometimes be desirable to insert the end anchors and bowedmember, especially when green lumber is utilized for making door, sash,or other elements.

Said construction is illustrated in Figure 6 wherein a recess or groovel2 of greater depth than the groove 2 is formed. The end anchors 'l areapplied as heretofore described, within this groove or recess l2, andlikewise the bowed member 8. After the bowed member 8 is straightenedand secured in straightened position by means of screws 9 or similarelements, the outer surface of the member 8 and the outer surface of theend anchors will then lie inwardly of the adjacent surface of the door.

In this construction the end anchors and bowed member are convenientlycovered by a strip of veneer 53 or other suitable material so that theparts may be invisible.

A door or other structure made of green lumber and reinforced in themanner described, will not warp because of the use of suchgreen lumber.

If desired, even when used with a door or other structure made fromdried lumber, the end anchors l and bowed member 8 may be set in arecess of greater depth than the groove or recess 2 and a concealingpiece l3 thereover applied for concealing the straightening apparatus.

It will be readily apparent that the method of the present inventioncontemplates the utilization of end anchors disposed in secured relationagainst or in the surface of the concave part of the warped portion, anda spreader or bowed member is applied to separate the end anchors forstraightening the warped portion.

Preferably. the end anchors are made of tempered steel to preventdistortion thereof in use.

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely as todetails, yet the invention is not to be limited thereby, as changes maybe made in the arrangement and proportion of parts and equivalents maybe substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

A method of straightening warped doors and the like including the stepsof forming an elongated groove lengthwise of the concave face of awarped part of the door with the groove terminating at both ends withinthe extremities of the warped part to form end shoulders, applyingtongued anchor members within the groove at the ends thereof and againstsaid end shoulders with said anchor members lying wholly within thedepth of the groove, bowing a single piece of spring metal having alength greater than the distance between the confronting portions ofsaid applied anchor members, applying said bowed piece to said groovewith its ends against said anchor members, straightening said piece tocause it to lie wholly within said groove and thereby exert endwisepressure against said anchor members and said end shoulders tostraighten the warped portion of the door, and fastening said piece insaid groove to maintain said door portion plumb.

HERMAN ADAMSON.

